Jenks Middle School parents worry construction by school will cause chaos

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TULSA - Parents are worried a city construction project will keep them from picking up or dropping off their kids at Jenks Middle School without chaos.

Usually the drive from Jennifer Hudgins home to Jenks Middle School takes about five minutes, now it takes twenty-five.

“We’re all trying to find the easy way of how we’re going to get our kids to school and there’s not an easy way to do it," said Hudgins, whose daughter attends Jenks.

Construction signs and hazard lights now lead her to the pick-up line.

It's all part of the city of Tulsa's street rehabilitation project spanning from East 101st Street and South Louisville Avenue to South Florence Avenue.

According to the city, up until last week everything was going according to plan with it's original project at the corner of 101st and Louisville, but it was what they found underneath the road that's causing problems.

“This was something we just didn’t know existed," said City of Tulsa Engineer Paul Zachary.

Workers found damage to storm sewers and storm boxes underground, which left the potential for sinkholes over time.

“The plan in the existing project was maintain a one lane westbound starting when school starts which is this Friday," he said.

He said even with this problem, that one westbound lane will stay open as planned, but Hudgins isn't convinced it's enough.

“I just don’t see how this is all going to work.”

Jenks Public Schools is asking parents "If you're picking up or dropping off a student, please plan accordingly."

So, with orange and white in the side view, come Friday, Hudgins will have to pay to hop on the Creek Turnpike and wait with everyone else.

“I might honestly leave our house at 6:30 and have my daughter just hang out, read a book and eat," she said.

The city engineer said the lane will open on Friday, and in February or March another lane will open in the opposite direction.

The only difference in the original plan will be when the same intersection is completely closed all over again next summer to fix the issues underground.